


Operation: Get Someone to Fall in Love with Takao

by NightWinds



Category: Kuroko no Basuke | Kuroko's Basketball
Genre: I tried to make some jokes and tried to make it funny, I'm Bad At Summaries, I'm Sorry, M/M, My First Fanfic, Some Swearing, ghost!Takao, human!Midorima
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-24
Updated: 2016-01-24
Packaged: 2018-05-16 01:36:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,930
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5808220
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NightWinds/pseuds/NightWinds
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A ghost starts following Midorima around and it's really getting on his nerves.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Operation: Get Someone to Fall in Love with Takao

Midorima isn’t sure when it started, but all he knows is that he would wish it would stop. Like right now. 

A ghost, who goes by the name of Kazunari Takao, follows him around everywhere. The most annoying thing about Takao is that Midorima seems to be the only one who can see and hear him. The thing never stops talking. Some days Midorima “accidentally” drives a knife right through the annoying ghost, but sadly, it does nothing. The only thing it does, is make the stupid ghost laugh at Midorima’s feeble attempts to get rid of him.

“Shin-chan, lets go somewhere else, I'm bored,” Takao whined. One day Midorima made the mistake of telling the ghost his first name and ever since then he has been calling Midorima “Shin-chan.”

“Shut up, I'm at a meeting,” Midorima hissed under his breath. 

“Midorima, who are you talking to?” Midorima’s boss questioned him.

Shit. “No one… I was talking to my stomach which keeps growling,” Midorima panicked and made up something that sounded even more ridiculous than telling his boss that he was talking to a ghost.

Takao laughed. “Shin-chan you’re really weird.”

Midorima tries his best to ignore the annoying little man. 

Midorima’s boss removed his gaze from Midorima, checking the time on his overpriced watch. “The meeting has run a bit long, everyone can go take a lunch break and we will meet back here in half an hour to finish talking about the project,” Midorima’s boss dismissed them with a wave of his hand.

Midorima hadn’t left a room faster than he did today. Once in an empty conference room, he confronts Takao. “Why do you have to follow me? Why can't you go somewhere else by yourself?”

“Because Shin-chan, I like pestering you.”

“I’m flattered,” Midorima says, deadpan. “Can you at least leave me alone when I'm in a meeting? Oh, and also can you stay out of the room when I'm going to the bathroom?”

“Nope and definitely nope,” Takao grinned cockily. 

That bastard. Midorima scowled. 

“Come on Shin-chan, lighten up!” Takao brought his translucent hands up to Midorima’s face as if to force his frown into a smile. When Takao’s fingers went through Midorima’s cheeks, Takao seemed to deflate a little, though Midorima didn’t try to notice. 

Midorima’s frown deepened, as he started blankly at Takao. Pushing up his glasses, he paced around the office table. “Are you ever going to leave me alone?”

“Not until I can turn back into a human, and even then I probably won't,” Takao said, matter-of-factly.

Midorima almost forgot to breathe. “What did you just say?”

“I probably won’t,” Takao’s eyebrows drew together.

“No, before that,” Midorima tried his best to say what he wanted to say without closing his mouth, which still hung open.

“I can turn back into a human?” Takao questioned.

“Yeah, that. How?” Midorima was bewildered.

“Well, when someone falls in love with me, I can turn back into a living, breathing, person,” Takao almost looked embarrassed.

“Takao, I'm a genius,” Midorima gasped.

“Why? What are you thinking?” Takao cocked his head to the side.

“I thought of a plan. Operation: Get Someone To Fall In Love With Takao,” Midorima truly didn’t see anything wrong with that plan. 

Takao laughed. He knew one vital piece of information that would make the plan go badly, but he decided not to say it. I’ll let him make a fool of himself. Takao was wheezing when he finally answered. “Shin-chan… that… sounds… like a… great idea,” Takao finally got out. 

“I don’t get why you’re laughing. It’s a brilliant plan,” Midorima mumbled, more to himself than Takao, and pushed up his glasses. “I have to get back to the meeting. We’ll get the plan underway tonight,” Midorima waved, even though he knew Takao would be following him, and left the room.

“Shin-chan, you’re a silly man,” Takao muttered.

Whatever the rest of the meeting was about, Midorima hoped it wasn’t important, since he wasn’t paying attention one bit.

A couple hours later they, to Midorima’s distaste, walked into the local bar. “I’ll introduce you to someone.” Midorima walked up to a woman with pink hair and introduced himself. 

“Hello, I’m Midorima, and this is my friend Takao,” Midorima pointed to Takao.

Takao, being the prankster he used to be known for, went along with it. “Hi.”

For a reason that was unknown to Midorima, the girl laughed, loudly, and turned back around to continue her conversation with the bartender.

Midorima’s eyebrows furrowed. “Why’d that happen?”

Takao was this close to laughing his head off, but with a great deal of strength Takao didn’t know he had, Takao swallowed his laugh and kept a straight face. “I don’t know Shin-chan, maybe she didn’t like me because she already has a boyfriend,” Takao shrugged.

“Let’s try again,” Midorima sounded determined and Takao almost felt bad for him. Almost.

This time, Midorima walked up to a woman with sort-of-short brown hair. “Hi, I’m Midorima, and this is my friend Takao.”

She stared blankly at him. “Whom are you pointing at?”

Midorima visibly reddened. “I’m such an idiot,” he whispered. “Oh, never mind, excuse me,” Midorima bowed slightly and walked out of the bar.

Takao couldn’t hold in his laugh. “I’m sorry Shin-chan, I should’ve told you from the start but I just couldn’t help myself. You looked so determined, I didn’t want to ruin it,” Takao bent over, laughing the hardest he’s ever laughed before. A laugh so great, it could kill a man, too bad he was already dead.

The red from Midorima’s face turned to white as Midorima paled. “You knew and you didn’t tell me! Why did you let me make a fool out of myself?” Midorima sounded a tad bit angry.

“Sorry Shin-chan,” Takao reached out as if to touch Midorima but retracted his hand when he remembered that he couldn’t. “I’m afraid that you’re still the only person who can see me, so I’ll just have to get you to fall in love with me,” Takao shrugged.

All of Midorima’s anger disappeared, replaced with embarrassment. “Don’t spout such nonsense. That’s never going to happen.”

“Then I’ll never stop bothering you.”

“I can never escape you can I?” Midorima cradled his face in his hands and groaned.

“Nope, it looks like you’re stuck with me!” Takao squealed.

“Yeah whatever, let’s just get back to my apartment, I'm tired,” Midorima mumbled. It was then that Midorima realized that people were watching him and whispering. Of course, they think I'm talking to an imaginary friend or something like that. 

Once arriving at Midorima’s third floor apartment door, Midorima turned to Takao, who just opened his mouth. “No.”

Takao shut his mouth, but then reopened it a second later. “How did you know what I was going to ask?”

Midorima sighed and turned back to his door so he could open it. “Because every night you ask if you can sleep in my bed. Which I always reply with ‘no’ or ‘the sofa is comfortable enough.’ Then you complain that if you roll too much you’ll fall off and get hurt. Which is stupid because you’re a ghost and ghosts don’t get hurt.”

Midorima knew that Takao had his hand over his heart. “That hurt me emotionally Shin-chan. But I guess the sofa is fine.”

“Damn right it is,” Midorima replied curtly, shutting the door behind Takao. Takao went straight to the sofa, which was stationed in the living room, as Midorima went straight to the fridge. “Can you believe that I haven’t eaten all day? It just totally slipped my mind I guess.”

Takao knew exactly the reason why. “Why? Because you’ve been thinking about me all day?” 

“Die,” Midorima nearly shoved his head in his fridge. Maybe if he slammed his head in the door hard enough, he could escape Takao, but probably not even then.

“Oh, Shin-chan’s feisty.” Midorima knew Takao enough to know that the smaller man was smirking. That was what scared Midorima the most. Midorima knew Takao so well and Takao knew more about Midorima than anybody else. Well, Midorima guessed that it’s a given, since Takao’s always within a couple feet from him. Still, Midorima didn’t like it.

Deciding to skip dinner, even though his stomach protested, he headed into his bedroom, Takao trailing close behind. Takao kept complaining about having to sleep on the sofa in the living room, so, only because he was annoying the crap out of him, Midorima bought another couch and set it up in the corner of his bedroom.

Midorima glared at Takao until he faced the wall so he could change. Changing as fast as humanly possible, Midorima let Takao turn back around. Midorima watched as Takao plopped down on the sofa. To this day, he didn’t know how Takao could sit on something and not go right through it, but if he tries to pick something up or put something on, it goes right through him. Midorima shrugged.

Not wanting to think about Takao anymore, he grumbled something incoherent and situated himself in his blankets. He could feel Takao’s eyes on him as Midorima fell into a deep slumber. 

Midorima woke up to the most annoying voice in the world. “Shin-chan, get your lazy butt up!” Takao tended to wake Midorima up at he crack of dawn so they could watch the sunrise together. Midorima doesn’t know when that habit formed, but he doesn’t mind it in the slightest.

“I’m up, I'm up,” Midorima shielded his face from Takao’s poking hands. And by poking hands, he means the hands that are violently jabbing through his face. 

“Hurry Shin-chan you’re going to miss the sunrise!”

Midorima slowly stood up and took the lead, as they walked out onto Midorima’s balcony. “Hey Takao?” Midorima was scared to ask, but he knew he had to eventually.

“Yes Shin-chan?” Takao beamed.

“How did you… you know… turn into a ghost?” Midorima sheepishly asked.

Takao shifted his weight between his feet.

“No! You don’t have to answer that, I'm sorry that was probably rude.”

“No Shin-chan, you deserve to know,” Takao turned to face the sun that was just peeking over the horizon. “About a year ago, I was going out with some of my old high school friends and we were going out to a bar for a reunion type get-together. I was in a rush to see them, I was already five minutes late, and it was raining and very foggy, so I couldn’t see well and neither could anyone else. When I was crossing the street, some moron didn’t have his car lights on; he couldn’t see me, and I most certainly couldn’t see him. He smashed into me and didn’t even stop to see what he hit. I was sprawled out on the road and before I knew it, I wasn’t breathing,” Takao whispered, fearful that he would start crying.

Midorima looked at Takao, his mouth agape. “Kazunari, I'm so sorry.”

Takao broke into a grin.

“What?” Midorima didn’t know how he could be smiling after telling such a sad story.

“You called me by my first name,” Takao was practically breaking his cheeks with how hard he was smiling.

Shit. Fuck. Holy crap. “I- I didn’t mean to,” Midorima muttered, clearly flushed. 

“It’s okay, I quite liked it.”

“Well, don’t get used to it, Takao,” Midorima said sternly. “Anyway, why did you decide to bug me and not one of your friends?”

“How could I not want to bug a serious, green-haired, giant like you?” Takao smirked.

“How did you even know who I was?”

“Oh Shin-chan, it’s a pity you don’t remember. It seriously is.”

“Remember what?” Midorima was frustrated; all his sympathy for the short man left his body and jumped off the balcony, never to be seen again. Splat. Fatality. Midorima 1-Sympathy 0. Midorima won this round. Better luck next time sympathy. 

“In the first year of middle school, I was running in the hallway, as I was late to class, and I ran straight into this dorky green-haired boy. The kid I ran into, fell, along with his supplies, and started crying when he hit his nose on the floor and it had started to bleed. I think it was broken, or at least bruised up a bit. He sat there curled in a ball and crying, so I apologized and picked up the boy’s scattered supplies. When I was done picking them up the kid was still crying so, as horrible as it sounds, I left. When I got to my class I couldn’t stop thinking of the boy I ran into, so I told my teacher I had to go to the bathroom and left the class. When I did, I saw the kid still crying softly, thus I got the nurse and then I left again. I ended up developing a crush on the crying green-haired mess,” Takao’s face was inflamed. “Sorry?” he added, sounding more like a question then an actual apology. 

Well, there goes Midorima’s dignity. It jumped off along with his sympathy, which Midorima still had no ounce of. He could almost see his dignity hit the ground and perish. There go two feelings he’ll never need again. Midorima thought he might as well follow his feelings off the balcony, but stopped himself. If there were a chance he could die from that fall, he wouldn’t take it; if he did die, he might be stuck with Takao forever. 

Instead of replying back to Takao, Midorima wordlessly turned around and shut the door behind him. Leaving Takao on the other side. Midorima knew Takao could go through the door, but he didn’t care. 

“Shin-chan,” Takao whined and stepped through the door. “Look, its your fault, you wanted to know.”

“Die,” Midorima said, being totally serious.

“Shin-chan, I'm already dead. But nice try,” Takao gave him a sympathy smile.

“Then die again.”

“Shin-chan don’t be like that,” Takao pouted.

Midorima said nothing as he walked into his kitchen. He grabbed the biggest knife he had and walked back over to Takao. Deadpan, Midorima thrust the knife into Takao’s stomach, then his chest, and to top it all of, he also stabbed where his heart should be. Even though Midorima knew it did nothing, he still felt the need to. 

“Shin-chan what are you doing?”

“Shut up and die,” Midorima said, still stabbing Takao.

Takao smirked and screamed, falling on the floor with his tongue out. He stayed like that and Midorima grinned triumphantly. “I’m dead Shin-chan,” Takao playfully smiled.

“You’d better be,” Midorima looked down at Takao and smiled endearingly. Midorima coughed a second later; embarrassed at the look he was probably giving Takao. Takao could easily mistake that as a sign of affection. Which it was not, not at all. No way. Nope. 

Midorima shook his head to hopefully clear it. “I have to get ready for work. Make sure you’re ready to leave the apartment in forty-five minutes. Even though I don’t know why you wouldn’t be ready. You literally don’t have to do anything. Okay, I'm going to shut up,” Midorima rambled on while blushing and basically ran into his room.

Takao stayed on the floor, for some reason it was kind of comfortable. “What should I do while I wait for Shin-chan?” Takao said to himself. “What would Shin-chan do if he couldn’t find me?” Takao smirked once again and went to find a good hiding place. He lay in the couch, making sure he could still see Midorima through one of the creases under the cushions. Being a ghost had it perks.

Precisely thirty-seven minutes later, Midorima walked out of his room, all dressed and ready for work. “Takao?” Midorima looked around. “Takao, where are you?” Midorima checked the balcony. “Takao, come on, where are you?” Midorima checked the kitchen. “Are you hiding?” Midorima checked the living room, not seeing where Takao was hiding. “You’re a ghost, that’s not fair, I won't ever be able to find you.” Midorima checked the closet and all the kitchen cabinets. “Please, where are you?” Midorima checked the bathroom and his bedroom. Takao heard a deep sigh coming from the man that was still looking for him. He sounded as if he was going to say something he would regret, which is exactly what he did. “Come on, Kazunari, we have to get to work.”

Takao noticed two things in that sentence. Two things that made him come out of his hiding spot.

“There you are!” Midorima sounded a bit relieved. “Come on Takao, we don’t want to be late.” 

Takao noted that, again, Midorima said we instead of I. “I’m kind of surprised that you didn’t leave without me,” Takao winked.

Midorima flushed and scratched the back of his head. “Well- I- it wouldn’t- never mind.”

“Oh Shin-chan,” Takao cooed.

“Die,” Midorima said straight-faced and, once again, absolutely serious. Without any warming, Midorima opened his front door and walked out. 

It took nine minutes to walk to the office building a couple blocks away. That’s right; Midorima was a boring office worker. He didn’t even have a cool job like being a CEO or anything even close to that. He was just a cubicle office worker, who sometimes printed out blank pages just to mess with people. He was the life of party, or to fit his situation, he was the life of the office. 

Takao would have an absolute field day if he could interact with objects. Midorima could picture him and Takao having a prank war in the office to see who was the best prankster. Takao would be doing stuff like spilling people’s coffee without them seeing, or get pen ink on a sheet that someone has to find again and reprint, or things that would make people angry in general. While Midorima would shift everything in the break room a couple inches so everyone kept hitting their sides on the tables and kept tripping over the chairs. 

When he thought of that brilliant idea, he shot up from his desk. “I’ll be back!” he shouted to no one in particular. He went into the break room and waited for the guy, with a really bad tie, to hurry up and make his coffee and leave. Midorima leaned against the counter and planned his attack. It was simple; all he was going to do was shift everything to the right a bit. Tie Guy finally capped his coffee cup and walked out of the room. Midorima started with the really old couch that sat sadly by itself to the left of the door, he moved it over just enough for people to hit into it if they didn’t notice it was moved, he moved the coffee table over a few inches, and did the same with every single other piece of furniture in the room. 

When Midorima sensed he wasn’t alone anymore, he turned to face the intruder. “Shin-chan you’re a badass,” Takao laughed as Midorima told him what he did. “I really hope people run into the excessive amount of furniture you worked so hard to move.”

Midorima smiled. His smile grew even bigger when he heard the door open. Quickly he sat down on the, slightly shifted, couch and pretended like he didn’t care at all that the other man had just walked in.

The man turned to Midorima with a smile and walked straight, his brain on autopilot from the amount of times he most likely walked in here a day. The man’s smile quickly faded as he hit into the side of the counter. “Ouch,” he mumbled, rubbing his side. Midorima hid a grin behind his hand, as the man stepped forward again and was assaulted on his other side by the chair that was casually sitting there. “Ouch, what the hell is wrong with me today?” After getting his coffee, he sat down, almost missing the chair and getting one of the table’s legs in between his leg. “What?” he mumbled, as he scooted his chair over and put his leg on the right side of the table leg, letting his left leg be almost pressed against he oak wood. First mistake.

“You okay?” Midorima asked, accidentally letting a laugh escape.

“Yeah. Yeah, I'm fine, but it seems as though the whole room has shifted, or I'm just totally out of it today,” he man took a sip of his coffee. 

Midorima just now noticed that the man had pulled out a folder and was looking at the context, and even though everything that has happened to him, the man doesn’t think to look as he sets his coffee somewhere to the left of him. Second mistake.

Midorima saw the shock in the man’s eyes when he let go of his cup and it wasn’t sitting on the table. Out of reflex, Midorima reached out, stupidly enough, because he was way out of arms reach to be able to catch it. 

“Shin-chan what do you think you’re doing? Do you think you’ll be able to reach it from all the way over there,” Takao smirked.

“Shut up, it was out of reflex,” Midorima said louder than he wanted to. Third mistake. Well, since everything happens in threes Midorima hopes that, with the man’s mistakes and his own, Midorima won't mess up anymore today.

“Shin-chan, he’s looking at you weirdly.”

“Takao,” Midorima said annoyingly. There goes Midorima’s theory of threes. 

“Takao?” the man asked, franticly scrubbing the, for whatever reason the company thought it was a good idea for a break room, tile floors.

“Nothing, never mind. Just a friend,” Midorima was embarrassed to say the least. Once a-fucking-gain he messed up.

“Shin-chan we’re friends? I thought I was just the ghost who annoyed you.”

“Die,” Midorima muttered, getting up and leaving the room.

“Aw Shin-chan, you really do care,” Takao chuckled.

“I swear I will find a way to kill you, you little piece of shit,” Midorima spat, though his words didn’t have as much anger as he hoped they would.

The rest of Midorima’s day had been about as eventful as watching a piece of hair grow. Which, from experience, is so boring Midorima would’ve rather died. Don’t ask, he was a weird kid. Once he exited the office, he just about slumped on the ground. “Takao, do you want to do anything? And I seriously mean anything, I'm so bored.”

“We could cuddle,” Takao suggested. “We could make it work somehow.”

Midorima abruptly stood up and headed in the opposite direction of his apartment. That was another mistake to add to the list. “Never should have asked you. I should’ve known you would try to pull that crap.”

“Where are you going?”

“Anywhere else but home, that’s for god damn sure,” Midorima said and set a brisk pace. Takao trailed behind, not really sure of what to say. 

Out of all the stupid stuff Takao could say, he doesn’t know why his brain chose the stupidest one of them all. “Why do you not like the idea of cuddling with me?”

Midorima froze as if he had just witnessed a murder. “Why… why would you ask that?”

“No reason, I just want to know.”

“Don’t trail behind, Takao,” Midorima called over his shoulder as he walked at an even faster speed.

Takao could barely keep up. “Shin-chan slow down a little.”

“No, just move those short legs faster,” Midorima smirked.

“Mark my words Shin-chan, if I ever turn back into a human the first thing I'm going to do is slap you,” Takao huffed.

Midorima laughed. “Yeah okay, good luck with that.”

“At least I don’t look like a walking piece of grass,” Takao mumbled. Which made Midorima stop for the second time.

“What was that?”

“Oh, nothing, Grass-chan,” Takao sneered.

“Fuck off and die,” Midorima snarled and, once again, set a swift pace.

“Gladly,” Takao’s sneer never left his face. “It would be better than following around and taking orders from a piece of grass.”

“A certain piece of grass could kick your ass, so watch out, you tiny man.”

Takao gasped, trying to sound frightened. “Oh, no, whatever will I do if a piece of grass touches me,” Takao shudders overdramatically.

“I hate you,” Midorima said.

“Love you too,” Takao’s lips curved into a smile once again.

What the…? His heart gave a little flutter, most likely because a bird had just swooped low over Midorima’s head, causing him to stumble. Midorima stayed quiet and continued to walk. Without even knowing, he had stopped at a small shop and gotten himself a couple of vegetables to make dinner with for that evening.

It took him a total of twenty-eight minutes to get back to his house and to begin cooking. It was another seventeen minutes to have his dinner ready. It took about two minutes for him to pick out a random movie and sit on the couch while starting to eat his vegetable stew. It took another thirty seconds for Takao to sit by him, a little too closely he might say. But it could be worse, Takao could be sitting in him, or instead of having his leg brush against the other male’s leg, it could just go right through. 

It took another hour and ten minutes for Midorima to ask another awkward question. 

“Do you really want to be human again? I mean, being a ghost must have its perks, right?”

“Being a ghost is actually pretty wonderful, but overall, yes. I would definitely rather be human. Ghosts can't touch other people, they can't eat, they can't interact with anything, or anyone for that matter, and they can't hold hands, hug, and kiss the person they love. So if it really came down to it, I would rather be a human for a day than be a ghost for eternity.”

For some reason, something in Midorima flipped. Suddenly he wanted to be able to hold Takao. To tell him that he’ll always be here for him. He wanted to be able to wake up to another breathing person; he wanted to be able to bring him to work and show him off, and to be able to prank his coworkers together. He wanted it all, and much, much more. Midorima realized with a start that the operation to get someone to fall in love with Takao actually did work, just not in the way he expected it to.

Midorima spent the rest of the movie being awkward as fuck because he couldn’t get the thought of cuddling up with Takao out of his mind.

The next day was absolute shit. He couldn’t think about anything other than stupid Takao. When he was about to unlock his front door after a long day of work, he stopped and turned to Takao. “Yes,” Midorima simply said.

Takao looked confused and Midorima smiled at the attractive expression. 

“Yes Takao, you can sleep in my bed tonight,” Midorima grinned.

Takao nearly jumped through the roof and up onto the floor above with all his excitement he had.

Midorima unlocked his door and Takao spoke up right away. “Can we sleep early tonight? I want to sleep. Like at this exact moment,” Takao begged.

Takao didn’t even need to beg, Midorima was already planning on going to bed earlier tonight. Without a word, Midorima and Takao climbed into Midorima’s bed, not even close to touching, but it was still something. That last thing Midorima heard before falling asleep was Takao whispering, “thank you.”

When Midorima woke up the next day, he was surprised to have his front be pushed against something warm. Groggily, Midorima opened his eyes. Right there, in front of him, was a head of black hair, not translucent what so ever. His arm was slung around the black-haired beauty’s waist, which made Midorima’s eyes go wide. He quickly retracted his arm.

The movement made the person lying in front of him yawn as he woke up. Bringing his hand to his face to stifle the yawn, he cried out with joy. “Shin-chan! Shin-chan! I'm human again!” Takao shouted, sitting bolt upright. Takao grew a sneer on his face, as he turned to Midorima, and slapped him.

“What was that for?” Midorima was beyond confused.

“I told you the first thing I would do would be to slap you. Remember, Grass-chan? Anyway, I'm human again, can you believe that?”

Midorima didn’t mention the slap, which still stung a bit, or the horrible nickname. Instead replying to his last sentence. “That’s right,” Midorima grinned from ear-to-ear. 

“Shin-chan, it’s because of you that I'm real again,” Takao said, turning to face Midorima. “Thank you so much, I absolutely love you,” Takao stretched his arms out and tackled the, still sleepy, man. 

Midorima hugged back, keeping his arms around him for way longer than he meant to. 

“Shin-chan, I seriously can't thank you enough. Is there anything you want in return for this wonderful gift?”

“Yeah, there is.”

“What is it?” Takao was over the moon with happiness, it seemed as though he would burst at the seams.

Midorima didn’t respond with words. He pushed himself closer to Takao, pushing their lips together. Takao started kissing back not even a heartbeat later. 

They sat like that, enjoying each other’s company until Midorima had to pull away to breathe. “I love you too,” Midorima mumbled, cheeks ablaze, as he shoved their faces back together. 

It was nearing dawn and Midorima decided they should see the sunrise on Takao’s first day back as a human.

Midorima lightly wrapped an arm around Takao’s waist, pulling him out onto the balcony. Just as the sun was rising, Takao stole a kiss. And another. And another. 

The sound of Takao’s stomach growling wrecked the mood a bit. Takao pulled away so their foreheads still touched, Takao laughed. “It feels like I haven’t eaten for a year,” a pause, “oh wait.”

Midorima snorted.

“Oh Shin-chan, what a beautiful sound,” Takao purred. 

“Die,” Midorima pulled away, his arm still not leaving Takao’s waist. Midorima had a feeling that they were going to be inseparable for the rest of time. Not even one of them dying and becoming a ghost would break their bond. He was sure of it.

Midorima felt Takao tear himself from Midorima’s grip, when the two of them finally made it over to the stove. Involuntary, Midorima whined at the loss.

Skinny arms quickly wrapped around the taller man’s waist and the taller man was once again content. “Needy, are we?”

“Yes. I've wanted to be able to touch you since you came back into my life a year ago.”

“Glad its mutual then,” Takao grinned and kissed Midorima’s neck, causing Midorima to whimper. “God, you’re so cute.”

“Don’t you dare call me cute. Ever,” Midorima warned.

“Got it, beautiful,” Midorima knew Takao winked even without seeing him.

“Takao,” Midorima warned again. His frown was immediately replaced with a smirk when Midorima leaned back and brought his mouth to Takao’s ear. Takao was in deep shit, they both knew that. “Kazunari.”

There goes Takao. Bye. Adios. Gone. Just like that. Poof. Rest in piece Takao. Takao can feel all his emotions jump off the balcony, joining Midorima’s sympathy and dignity. 

Midorima knew exactly what that did to him, so Midorima really should’ve been more prepared. “Two can play at that game, Shintarou.”

Midorima’s jaw went slack. “Takao, that’s a game I don’t want to play at the moment, so if you could just continue calling me Shin-chan and I’ll continue calling you Takao, I think I’ll make it through the day.”

“Oh Shin-chan, you were the one to start it,” Takao stuck his tongue out.

When Midorima arrived to work the following day, Takao walked in with him. Midorima let Takao open the door and Takao just beamed. “Shin-chan, did you see that? I actually touched the door!” 

“Yes, Takao, I saw. I'm happy for you,” Midorima clapped softly.

When Midorima entered his office floor, no one seemed to care that Takao was following him. The only person who noticed was the man who was the first victim to Midorima’s prank. “Midorima, who’s this?”

Midorima knew he couldn’t say Takao, because the guy had heard him say that name earlier when he was talking to the ghost Takao, so the thought fast. Looking at Takao with an apologetic look in his eyes, Midorima answered. “Kazunari.”

Takao visibly stiffened. 

“Hello, Kazu-chan, its nice to meet you,” the man bowed.

“Same to you,” Takao bowed quickly, standing straight again to glare at Midorima.

“What’s your relationship with Midorima, if it’s not to rude to ask?”

“Lo-“ Takao started, but Midorima quickly cut him off.

“Friends. We are very very good friends.”

The man nodded and excused himself.

“Shin-chan, why do you have to be so rude? I was just going to tell him the truth,” Takao whined.

“That’s exactly why I stopped you. I don’t need people to know that right now.”

“Oops,” Takao shrugged.

Midorima grew irritated. “What did you do?”

“No, no. I did nothing,” Takao brushed it off.

“I don’t trust you,” Midorima’s eyes narrowed. “Can you go in the break room and stay in there forever?”

“Oh my wonderful Shin-chan, you’re not getting rid of me that easily,” Takao smiled and kissed Midorima’s cheek.

As soon as Takao’s lips touched Midorima’s cheek, Midorima swooped down and crab walked to get out of reach of Takao. Takao knew what Midorima was going to say; it was quite obvious. “Die,” Midorima was flustered so it lost some of its weight. 

“Shin-chan, what would you do without me?”

“There isn’t a possible way I could escape you,” Midorima said, looking over his shoulder. He turned back around and ever so quietly added, “even if there was, I wouldn’t want to.”

Stupid Takao had to hear that though. With a huge grin on his face he tackled Midorima from behind, who kept repeating the same thing:

“Die, die, die, die, die.”

“Shin-chan, you’re so mean,” Takao whined.

“Get off of me, you buffoon,” Midorima turned around and tried to push Takao off of him.

“Never Shin-chan, you’re stuck with me forever,” Takao kissed Midorima’s face again.

Takao knew the exact three-letter word Midorima was going to yell in his face, so he didn’t expect him to say anything else. “Good,” Midorima flushed as red as a stop sign, and looked away. “-ve you.”

Takao leaned down even closer. “What did you say Shin-chan?”

“Fucking die.”

“That’s the spirit!”

Even with all the annoying shenanigans Takao did when he was a ghost; Midorima knew he wouldn’t change it for the world. He finally found someone he can be happy with. As horrible as it sounds, Midorima’s glad the annoying brat pushed him in middle school, he is glad that Takao died, and that Takao started following him around. No. Wait. That sounded awful. Never mind that last part. Midorima is glad that Takao chose him to annoy the hell out of. He’s also glad that the operation did actually work. Out of all the outcomes, Midorima never would have guessed that he would be the one to fall in love with Takao. But he is damn well happy that he did, because now that he had him, he would never let him go.

There’s a saying, ‘til death do us part,’ but Midorima knew that wasn’t true in their situation. Nothing could part them. And Midorima was one hundred percent okay with that.


End file.
